Awakening Together, Relaxing into Happiness with William Cooper, M.Th., LPC

To awaken deeply we must open completely.  To open completely we must trust completely.  In complete Trust is complete opening.  In complete opening there is only oneness.  How do we start to Trust that deeply?  Start by trusting what is.  Let's stop and notice our experience now.  The direct experience of our thoughts and feelings now.  As we trust this simple action do we open some,....into our deepest Being?  That's a start.....let's see where it takes us.

As we continue to deepen in our Trust, we  open and relax into Oneness.  Here we explore the question of why is the world as it is.  It seems that the perfect has created the imperfect.  How can we trust that?  How can we approach living in this kind of world?

Everything is ok in our world and lives, yet it does not always feel that way.  Is the world an illusion or a delusion?  To see is to be free.  What happens as the delusion melts?  Trust happens.

As we continue to explore different ways to fall into Trust, we look at a current problem in our lives as a portal into our awakening.  How can problems be helpful to us?  Join me as we take a look.

Life can be so stressful when we feel that it is up to us to get everything right.  What if it turns out that the entire universe is conspiring to help us?  Why?  Because it is us.  And it is Love so we love ourselves naturally.  We explore the power of the Infinite guiding and supporting us.

What happens when we open up into our Selves......when the Divine becomes us and we mostly disappear?  Do we find ourselves "In the world but not of it?"  How do we experience life from here?  Let's talk!

With so much hurt and pain around us how are we to respond?  "Evil abounds when good men do nothing."  Is social action called for or not?  War?  Protest?  Prayer?  How are we to be in our world?  Does awakening or meditation change to world?

What is our role in society and our lives?. Does the personality have free will? Who is running our lives? Do we disappear as individuals when we "awaken"? Are we God? Why do some people choose evil?

We can relax into life because it is all as it should be.  Our life is being handled by us, the Infinite.  We can trust because the One is Love and is us.  We love ourselves and will take care of us.  All is happening as it should.  Let life figure it out while we relax.  Are we ever called to do anything then?  Yes because we are part of the One.  We are guided by our intuition or our fear depending on where we are in our awakening.  This and more.

Recording of first question and answer live event held on 6/4/2022.  Designed to address questions on our path of Awakening.  It also supports William's awakening podcasts, Awakening Together.  We expect to hold these live events periodically and then post them.  

This question and answer session supports the podcast, Awakening Together.  It addresses some issues that occur on one's path of awakening.  Questions were addressed posed by the participants such as how to let go of negative thoughts go, are medications helpful or harmful to awakening, where is a good place to start in one's travels to India, is psychotherapy helpful, etc. 

A recording of a live session with questions from participants concerning their path of awakening.  Topics covered were psychedelic drugs and awakening, awakening is us without our "problems", meditation, deconstruction of old mental emotional constructs that are now blocking awakening, passing of SivaShakti, etc.  These live sessions are open to all on all levels.  They support the previous podcasts and the current path that each of us is on.

You are always a Radiant awake Being!  But why don't we feel that we are?  Because we cover up our radiance.  We are innately happy but we postpone allowing ourselves to experience our Happiness.  Can we simply stop postponing and stand as who we are....as Awake, Happy Beings?  Ramana said, "The only difference between you and me is that I know I am awake and you don't know that you are." Awake is not the issue.  Knowing it is.  What? Have a Listen : )

Live questions and answers asked to support each individual's experiences on their path of awakening as do the previous 65 or so podcasts.  All of these podcasts are designed to enhance and support the listeners path to awakening whatever that might be.  In this podcast we addressed the main two types of meditation and how to do them.  Meditation for calmness and meditation for awakening.  Also, we address the nature of the observer.  Additionally, what are the effects of simply ignoring troubles and focusing on Awareness versus experiencing troubles and Awareness together.  Another asked the meaning and experience of "Being in the world but not of it".   And another asked why meditation is so hard and not peaceful.  

In this podcast William responds to a listener who wrote, "I am on my awakening journey.  It has been amazing the last few months.  Deep awareness during waking hours.  The silence has been so beautiful.  Now I seem to have regressed.  Meditation continues to be amazing flowing with acceptance, surrender and kundalini, etc.  But when my eyes are open, I'm procrastinating, avoiding doing things, etc.  Why can I experience myself as Awareness during meditation but not when I am active?  I seem to be holding back or something.  It used to be so easy."

Does the unconscious mind exist?  What happens in meditation?  What's the best way to meditate?  What dissolves in meditation?  How?  Live Q & A with these and other questions discussed supporting past podcasts and/or one's individual path of awakening.

Is it necessary to meditate to awaken.  Nope!  The common theme of most awakening practices is one of connection.  Connecting to nature or your breath or your feelings.   Or, best, connecting to everything.....life as it is.  

"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." Lao Tsu.  In awakening is clarity and in clarity the power of You (the One and infinite) shines through. Creation reforms around your clarity in a whole and flowing way. We explore clarity and creation in this podcast.  In this podcast I referred to one of my writings called "Miracles".  In it I describe "Miracles" I have personally experienced.  This writing is on my website www.williamecooper.wordpress.com  under the writings tab.

Recording of live session to support our path of awakening.  Listeners submit questions during this live podcast that they have regarding their path or the previous 70 podcasts.  Questions included, how to cope with great inner pain, why no awakening after decades of meditation, use of marijuana, psychotherapy assisted psychedelics, do I need a guru, how to find a guru, etc.  

As we meditate and go through our day how do we keep from getting lost in our dramas.  It is easy to escape through our daydreams, thoughts, wallowing in our emotions, relational drama, etc.  It is one thing to be aware of our dramas and it is another to be captured in our dramas.  How can we be in this world but not of it?  Enjoying everything yet being attached to nothing.  How can we stay in our center?

This recording of a live Q&A session every two weeks or so to give the listeners a forum to ask questions they have about their process of awakening.   In this session we discussed the process of awakening, letting go, Maya, illusion vs delusion, grief, trust, manifesting those things you want and don't want, books supporting the awakening process, etc.   "The Infinite Way" by Joel Goldsmith on seeing clearly.  And, "In Search of a Secret India" Paul Brunton, "Bhagavad Gita", Jack Hawley. Etc.

We are fractured into 1000 inner voices and personalities.  When one comes up, step into it and own it.  Then let it update its files and notice that something has changed since it was created.  Life is much better, and You (it) are the ground of all Being....Peace, Happiness and Love.  Ask your small inner hurting personality if that is better or worse than when it was created under painful circumstances.  If it says yes, then invite it to drink it in and melt into Your Well Being.  Take baby steps and pendulate from the hurt to the wellness until all that was hurting melts into Your (its) Wellness.  The intensity of the pain is the same intensity as the radiance it melts and transforms into.  As always, if things are too intense consider a psychotherapist to give you balance in your transformation.  Otherwise, baby steps.  Easy does it.

The live sessions are an opportunity for anyone to ask questions that come up during their awakening process.  It supports the previous 74 podcasts but does not require that you have listened to them.  We discussed the 3 steps of awakening meditation, the process of awakening, various practices, the hypnotic trances we live and how to dissolve them, awakening through a guru or not, mantra meditation, etc.

So many on the spiritual path are curious about India.  Many have considered going but it can seem like a daunting task.  Where to begin?  Where to go?  This is the first of a 4 part series on traveling to India.  I have traveled to India 13 times for around 12 weeks per trip.  In these podcasts I give you my sense of India, perspective and a place to start.  In the last of this series I give  you practical travel tips.  The book that best conveys my experience in India is "A search for a secret India" by Paul Brunton.  And of course, there is the old classic, "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Yogananda.  I would read them in that order.

So many on the path to awakening are curious about traveling to India.  Many would like to go but are not sure how or what to do once there.  This four-part series is designed to give you a starting place.  We describe a bit of the spirit and culture of India.  What to expect and possibly where to start if you decide to travel to India.  Interesting even if you do not.   William has been to India 13 times averaging 12 weeks per visit.  He has also explored spirituality in Bhutan, Thailand, and Brazil.  He gives a general description of travel in India in parts 1 - 3 and practical tips for travel in part 4.  

In this live session, participants sent in questions concerning their process of awakening.  We discussed four aspects of awakening, Experiencing your Being, Trusting that the universe is you and knows what to do....the personality does not have to know all, Releasing all that you are not, and Letting your body open into this infinite trust and flow with the qualities of your Being, Peace, Love, Wellbeing, Happiness.  Discussed India, Bhutan, and powerful ashrams in the US.

So many on the path to awakening are curious about traveling to India.  Many would like to go but are not sure how or what to do once there.  This four-part series is designed to give you a starting place.  We describe a bit of the spirit and culture of India.  What to expect and possibly where to start if you decide to travel to India.  Interesting even if you do not.   William has been to India 13 times averaging 12 weeks per visit.  He has also explored spirituality in Bhutan, Thailand, and Brazil.  He gives a general description of travel in India in parts 1 - 3 and practical tips for travel in part 4.  

 So many on the path to awakening are curious about traveling to India.  Many would like to go but are not sure how or what to do once there.  This four-part series is designed to give you a starting place.  We describe a bit of the spirit and culture of India.  What to expect and possibly where to start if you decide to travel to India.  Interesting even if you do not.   William has been to India 13 times averaging 12 weeks per visit.  He has also explored spirituality in Bhutan, Thailand, and Brazil.  He gives a general description of travel in India in parts 1 - 3 and practical tips for travel in this part 4. 

This recording of a live session open to all and designed to support your awakening process.  A participant asked William to recount his surprise experience with Archangel Michael and Jesus.  Separately but related we talked about Inner Trust.  

Your innate nature is incredible radiance of peace, love, and joy.  Nothing you have to do.  It is flowing through you now just as strongly as it flowed through Jesus and Buddha.  But why doesn't it feel so?  Because we have frozen much of it into pain.  Just look inside and feel what you feel.  Look outside and see the world you have created.  Pain emits lots of radiance.  Even a life of pain is born of love....even if maladaptive.  How to let it all melt back into recognizable and enjoyable love and wellness?  Let's explore together.

In this recording of a live session, participants asked, "What it is like to be awakened, what kind of spiritual practices and meditation do I do, why are their meditations not deep".  We talked about beneficial guidance from angels, Jesus, my guru, etc and why I enjoy but  go beyond all of that.  What is it like to awaken through a guru and do you need a guru?  

What is God and does "God" exist?   Many have been stuck on their path of awakening because they haven't known how to address this question.  Many feel alone in an absurd meaningless universe.  Camu and Sartre founded the existentialist and absurdist philosophies based on this predicament.  If this is a concern and one has existential angst in life one might not even be aware of where it is coming from.  Nonetheless, this anxiety can shut down the personality to life and, therefore, awakening.  Let's explore some possible answers to what an essential question for some may be.  

You can't connect deeply to a God you fear.  Bhagavan suggested that there are two paths to awakening, Spiritual practices or simply praying to God to do the work and awaken you.  For you to ask God to awaken you, you have to be able to connect to that God.  Since God is infinite God can be seen in a way that bypasses your psychology.  So if you love women and are afraid of men, have a female God.  The growth formula, prayer, gods, etc are discussed.  I think this podcast will make a lot more sense once you have listened to it than it likely does now.  See what you think.

Continuing the last Q & A podcast another great discussion about the experience of awakening including the awakening experience of one of the participants.  Also about meditation and the monkey mind, layers of awakening, the experience of awakening and then "losing awakening", shadow work, Jesus's experience leading to awakening, worshiping God, cultural aspects of religion, etc.

Unfortunately millions of people experience "Christian" fear and guilt.  As a college student I came to church with and open heart hoping and trusting for a deeper opening and Christian support.  Love quickly turned into guilt and fear of what could be a severe and punishing God.  After two years I knew something was wrong so I enrolled in a 4 year residential theological program at Harding Theological Graduate School. There, I received an incredibly high-quality education culminating in a Masters of Theology.  In this podcast I relate what helped me on my path to eventual awakening.

In this last live question and answer session before India we discussed the usefulness of being triggered during the holidays to see and work on one's reactions, shadow work, journaling, forgiveness, psychotherapy is different yet complimentary to awakening, inauspicious awakening, difference between release and repression, working with the inner child, treating our inner self the way Jesus treated me when he appeared to me, Possibility of live sessions from India on insight timer, etc.

Many have and are concerned about the purpose of their life.  Is there such a thing?  Bhagavan has said that, "Life is for living" and "Life is relationships" and "To see is to be free".  Joseph Campbell suggests that we match our heartbeat with that of the universe, match our nature with Nature.  Bhagavan feels that whatever is destined will happen regardless of your efforts.  Jesus and Buddha have their perspectives as well.  We look within to find our own answers and harmonize all these and other observations.

This is a discussion and listing of a number of powerful books that help you on your path of awakening.  Examples are, The Infinite Way, The Untethered Soul, The Surrender Experiment, Autobiography of a Yogi, In Search of a Secret India, I am That, Pointers from Nisargadatta, Any Thich Nhat Hanh book, Tao te Ching, Bhagavad Gita, Essential Rumi, Tibetan book of Living and Dying, Power of Now, There is a River, and Loving What Is.

After years of intensive practice, I discovered two very obvious and simple truths of Awakening.  The first is that the deepest part of me is beyond existence so can't be found through the mind or senses.  I can only know this deepest aspect of my center through my intuition.  Not knowing this I looked in the wrong places including aspects of my personality.  Second, awakening in the body requires me to let go of every vibration that is not happiness, peace, or love.  Awakening through my body flows with qualities of Being.  Match what I feel, hold on to, and flow with what I Am.  Let everything else go.  I explain all this in this podcast.

Psychotherapy is not awakening but it can help release places inside that are blocking Awakening.  Carl Jung, Ramana, and Carl Rogers and spiritual bypasses are discussed.  For those who feel that therapy could be useful different ways of access are discussed including free methods of co-counseling not limited to Reevaluation Counseling, Co-counseling international, al anon, adult children of Alcoholics, psychotherapeutically assisted psychedelics, Enneagram, etc.  All designed to give everyone options based on need and usefulness to themselves. Finally, remember local spiritual groups for support as well. Great place to meet others and to support you on your path. 

What are mantras and how do we use them?  In part 1 we explore a meditation inspired by Transcendental Meditation and its' use of mantras with no meaning.  Next we look at the awakening meditation's use of mantras from the heart.  Sathya Sai Baba observed, "A pure thought from a pure heart is better than a mantra".   We explore this heart mantra in relation with the Unity Church mantra, "There is one presence and one power moving in and through us - in divine and perfect order."  We'll practice some of these mantra based meditations in the podcasts following part 2.  You pick which ones work best for you. 

We explore power of mantra content, vibration, effects, and give examples.  Seed Mantra meditation to open your chakras and centering prayer with your personal mantras.   Mantras to replace negative self-talk, mantras to manifest, Toning for healing, Root mantras, etc. We discuss Ramana's suggestion for use of mantras and all spiritual practices. We'll practice some of these mantra based meditations in the following podcasts. You pick which ones work best for you. 

In this podcast we explore and practice a meditation inspired by Transcendental Meditation (TM) popularized by  Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.  This is a very easy yet powerful meditation and a great starting meditation for those new to meditation.  TM utilizes mantras or sounds that have no meaning, therefore, the mind can't get involved with them.  Sit down, relax, take a nice breath with your eyes closed and repeat your mantra silently.  Now every time a thought comes up, rather than become involved with it you simply repeat your mantra instead and let both your mantra and your thought go.  Since you are not being captured by your thoughts you are free to relax deeper and deeper into your Being. Other variations on TM are the "Relaxation Response" and the Christian version called "Centering Prayer". 

In this podcast we review and practice the Awakening Meditation.  This meditation is much like Transcendental Meditation except there is no verbal mantra.  Instead, the mantra is your Being.  You stay connected and aware of your Being while you watch everything else and let it either pass or dissipate and melt back into the same Bliss that you are. Let go of thoughts, emotions and melt back into your Self.

We often use our body to store painful thoughts, emotions, habits, and tensions.  Our body can reflect this burden with shutting down blocking your full awakening and expressive flow in the universe.  This clamping down on our body can cause high blood pressure and various other health issues.  In this podcast we practice 3 different body-oriented meditations to release and cleanse the body and its posture of holding these old troubles.  First is a release through tension, second is toning, third is placing a smile energy in each body part internally.

We practice this meditation together in order to activate our 7 energy centers or chakras that are located from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.  Each chakra is vibrated with a different Sanskrit Beeja mantra which resonates with that particular chakra.  Beeja mantras are root mantra which have special powers.  This meditation is another way to open you up and let your energies flow naturally.   

The universe and beyond is us.  All flows through our body naturally.  In this meditation we enjoy the universe flowing from above down through our crown then our third eye and back up to our crown and out, then our throat and back up to our crown and out, heart, solar plexus and back up to our crown and out, genital area and back up to our crown and out, base of our spine and back up to our crown and out.  Then back up from the base of our spine nicely up to our crown and out back through each of our chakras.  Let's practice together : )

First live session since India.  Discussion around awakening, experiencing yourself as Light, Love, Peace, etc and letting go of the rest.  How to gently dissolve the ego.  What is awakening like?  Dissolving PTSD and other emotional blocks that just do not release.  Why Baby steps and how?  How and what melts exiled emotions?  Etc.

In this podcast we learn to enjoy being supported by all the loving energy around us. We first connect, relax, and enjoy our root chakra soaking up the love around us.  From our root we move up our spine and enjoy that same connection one chakra at a time all the way to our crown and back.

Topics discussed in this live cast included, what to do when you feel overwhelmed and confused, Is manifestation a doing or an automatic flow?  Light, darkness, action and stillness in politics?  What was India like on our recent trip?

What is the value of a walking meditation?  How does it work?  Why do we walk slowly?  Do we have to?  How is walking meditation different than a seated meditation?  We explore these questions and others as we prepare to do a walking meditation.

Lots of warm sharing.  Live discussion on steps on our path of  Awakening. Other topics included Suffering, Jesus Love vs Christian guilt, Healing Trauma or PTSD, Awakening Books, Internal Family Systems, connection, letting go etc.

A short powerful guided meditation to manifest.  Learn and then do on your own.  Create and experience the vibration of already having and enjoying your desire.  The universe will then rush in to manifest (create) in reality what matches this vibration that you are now experiencing.  The vibration of your dreams and desires.  To make this meditation more powerful do two additional things.  First make a plan and start to do things in this world to accomplish this vision.  Take a step and let Grace complete the other 999 steps to make your dreams happen.  Taking practical steps activates all of your nervous system, body and mind to be congruent with your vision and transmutes vision into creation.  Baby steps though. Be easy.  Second, write down vision and/or create a vision board.  See, write, and do..... and Grace manifests for you.

Topics discussed in this Live Q & A are How to work with Negative thought Loops, Why are we here in the world, Can I be in the world but not of it, What is my personal practice now, Can you be awakened, Is pain the same as your Radiance? Etc.

In this live Q&A we discuss any issue related to our Awakening Path.  How to be Happy, how to get unstuck, how to approach a new job when anxious, where to turn for good instruction in beginning meditation, the difficulty of healing our shadow side and bringing it back into our active life, living from vulnerability.

These Live Q & A sessions are to clarify, support, encourage each other on our spiritual paths...all centered around awakening.  We discussed Awakening, dissociation, why we suffer, being captured by our thoughts and emotions in meditation, dissolving quilt, changing our behaviors to be helpful to us, others, and to support our awakening.  

In this live Q & A, we discussed Spirit guides and different ways to interact with them.  How they can be helpful but not necessary to one's path of awakening.  For full awakening best to transcend them rather than be attached to them.  Manifestation and miracles, ego dissolution, etc were also discussed.  All in service of becoming clear, letting go of what is not you as you relax and become familiar with You.  Self Realization....Awakening.

Live session Q & A.  Some topics discussed are, there are only two things inside....Being and tension.  Any tension is not you and does not flow from your Being.  How to let it go?  Inner Joy.  Be as a joyful child. Do I need a teacher or can I sit still with my Self and my Truth?  Do I need to visualize or can I trust that life is unfolding perfectly for me?  Why Baby steps?  One asked, "Why don't I feel joy? While another reported that suddenly she does feel Joy!"  Etc.

Live Q & A to supplement and deepen our spiritual growth regardless of our personal path.  We discussed, "Who am I?", How to grow in a toxic home environment, How can I let go?, Pain can help, etc.   Previous podcasts support these live sessions.  Some of these podcasts can dive deeply.  If you ever feel overwhelmed, please consult a psychotherapist. 

In this live session we discuss transmissions for awakening, love, healing, and powers.  Gurus that give them, how to contact them and how it works.  Yes William first started meditating in 1973.  He is a licensed psychotherapist who has a 4 year Masters of Theology, but he has also experienced these transmissions thousands of times.  He uses this experience and one grounded in years in India spread over 14 visits where he sat with 100s of awakened Beings, Bhutan, Brazil, and Thailand to give context to this discussion.

In this live session we start with Guru Bhakti.  Devotion to the guru as a method of awakening.  We talk about what to do when you are attached to your teacher.  Someone with PTSD who is no longer traumatized by it yet still affected by it.  We discuss how to heal and release that PTSD.  We also discussed that psychotherapy can be highly effective.

Great questions asked in this live Q & A we discussed the process of awakening and it's relation to releasing suffering.  How to release suffering.  How is suffering useful.  Is it better to be spontaneous or do step by step practices?  Is it possible to awaken using guided meditations? Are they helpful and how?  Can gurus take your suffering? Can one experience awakening and know one's true Self?  How?  Etc.

Beneath thoughts and emotions are our "positions or postures" in life.  These are our unconscious assumptions.  They guide the emotions and thoughts that occur from them.  One posture is that I will feel good when I accomplish my goal.  By holding that posture one has to squelch their innate joy of Being which always feels good in order to wait until that task is fulfilled.  This can include spiritual practices.  " I will feel good after my meditation".  Implying I can't just feel good now.   Lots of implications and aspects come out in this live discussion.

In this live Q & A we discussed resting in our ever present radiance without the need to jump out of our center.  We often can become twisted and unhappy when we are lost in tasks beyond our skill levels.  What does "Being in the Now" really mean?  In the "Now" with an active mind?  Being completely open and flowing with all emotions.  What is the relation of connection to Peace and Well Being.  What are we to do in life?  Losing the fear of panic attacks.  Etc.

Great Q & A! Your Being is Always shining as Love, Peace, and Fulfillment.  Sometimes we are either too distracted or possibly too blocked by our repressed pain to experience our Selves.  "I'm Awakened" and don't want to be entangled by too much information.  What to do?  "I live with a Narcissist."  Etc....

Great Q & A! We discussed Awakening, How to Release into Clarity, Addiction, Forgiveness, What is Source, Some good Teachers and Radiant Beings, Living with and loving Narcissistic family members, etc.  Though I am a licensed Psychotherapist, none of these podcasts are psychotherapy or a substitute for psychotherapy.  They are meant to be helpful on your spiritual path. If you ever suspect you need a psychotherapist, please reach out to one.  Often they offer a free first consultation to see what might be helpful to you.

A beginning meditator is working her way through these podcasts starting at 1, the introduction, and moving forward.  She wrote in asking how to stop her thoughts and her mind from roaming and how to stay in the present?  Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

In this dynamic Q & A we discussed the relationship between trust and clarity, meditation, "Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?".  Another asked, now that she experiences unfathomable joy why does she feel like shutting down as she did when experiencing negative emotions?  Another asked how to cope with anger? Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

You are Happiness (Being) right now and always.  Nothing to do but enjoy.  Yet we often feel blocked from our Selves by our troubles.  We develop preferences to protect us from being triggered and feeling our repressed pain blockages.  Our life becomes small.  What to do?  Let's do the opposite repression.  When we become triggered or feel our tensions or pain in anyway, just relax and let it flow.  The pain will come up, release its energy and dissipate....gone.  As more and more troubles release you become clearer and can feel and experience your innate Joy once again.  Who would you be without your troubles?   This "Relaxing into Happiness" Practice may be all you need.  It is simple yet profound.  If you would like to explore this practice more deeply you can listen to any or all of my previous podcasts, "Awakening Together, Relaxing into Happiness". They are thorough and very good.  I recommend starting with number one.  Also Michael Singer's books, "Untethered Soul", "The Surrender Experiment", and "Living Untethered" are all fun, easy, deep and so worth your while. His free recorded talks on the Temple of the Universe site are excellent as well.

In this Q & A somebody asks why their Blocks are not dissolving in meditation, they are afraid of Christianity, want to talk to angels.  We also talk about letting go in general and the importance of trust and how to experience trust.  Another asks if they have to experience their negative stories in order to let them go.  Etc.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

How is non attachment is possible?  Short of repression we only will let go if we trade for something better.  Ultimate non attachment, therefore, is only possible in Awakening.  In Oneness we are All.  Everything has become us.   From my contemplation 19 on my website.

Your heart shines through and around emotional layers  and colors. I describe a large painting I did where the white canvas shines through just like your Being shines through.  My contemplation 15 on my website, www.williamecooper.wordpress.com

If we lived in a dark world that was without light we might try to cope and understand through philosophy, science, relationships, psychotherapy, thinking, emoting, talking, etc.  Yet nothing would help us all as much as a single person lighting a candle.  My contemplation 14 on my website, www.williamecooper.wordpress.com

Trying to control life is exhausting.  Longchenpa, the ancient Tibetan Dzogchen masters' suggestion?  "Leave it as it is and rest the weary heart and mind."  Sound good for today?  My contemplation 13 on my website. "Leave it as it is and rest the weary heart and mind."  Sound good for today?  My contemplation 13 on my website, www.williamecooper.wordpress.com

In this recorded live Q & A we discussed the 3 steps in letting go of That which keeps us from Awakening and enjoying life fully, What happened when Jesus appeared to William, question about Catholic guilt and how to let it go and know Jesus as a friend.  A mother asked if her awakening could help her troubled child.  Lots more as well.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

Contemplation and reflection on,"Be Still and Know that I am God", Psalm 46:10"Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water.  Do you have the patience to wait?  Be still and allow the mud to settle." , Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching.From my contemplation 26 on my website, www.williamecooper.wordpress.com

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for length and clarity.  We discuss how we freeze free flowing consciousness into painful inner obstructions and how to melt them.  Also, nonattachment, how to open the chakras, how to "Be Here Now", etc.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

Meditation, exercise, nutrition, yoga, psychotherapy, energy work, philosophy, etc all can be important in our awakening process.  Yet seeing clearly can melt the delusions that may be causing much of our problems.  When I see that the deadly cobra in my room is actually only a rope all of my issues regarding that "deadly" event melt away quickly.  No psychotropic drugs or psychotherapy needed for my previous dread and anxiety.  No meditation, no philosophy, nothing is needed.  All done.  While all of the above can be vital at different times, "To See Is To Be Free." From my contemplation number 1 on my website, www.williamecooper.wordpress.comThough I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.  We discuss that so many are suffering these days, how to melt the obstacles that block our happiness, daily consistency in taking baby steps, the fear of death, past lives, and that it's ok to modify spiritual practices.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

There can be no ultimate joy living a life that is false and deluded.  Therefore, let's see clearly what we are not.  Knowing what we are not, we can, also, more easily experience what we are.  Let's let go of what we are not and enjoy the radiant Peace, Love and Joy of who we are.  From contemplation 2 on my website, www.williamecooper.wordpress.comThough I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

To a seeker, Ramana said, "Before you ask out 'your life', find out who 'You' are."  Good advice.  In this podcast we place our attention on what we are.  What is always here and remains when everything goes?  We place our attention on Awareness or our "Buddha nature".  It is like a rainbow and is experienced beyond creation as a full nothing and, in creation, as Light, Love, Peace, Happiness, Joy, etc.  We place our attention on Awareness so that we can experience our Selves rather than just understand our Selves.  We talk about why some experience them Selves as Peace while others as Love, or Joy or Happiness or All.  Though not the focus, we talk briefly about how to release what distracts and blocks us and why.  We also note that much more information on releasing and the whole process of awakening is available for free on this platform.  All podcasts stand on their own yet each rests on those before.  Best to start at number 1 and move forward unless you find a title compelling now.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.  Participants heartfelt questions and experiences guided our discussion.  We discuss how to release our blocks and let them melt, stopping hurting ourselves, the importance of "getting out of the pounding surf" as a basic step in our path of awakening, some grief is from biological separation as well as past and present obstacles.  Another noticed that he absorbed depression sitting next to a depressed man, etc.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.  We discussed how relaxation and tension apply to the process of Awakening and how to release blocks.  A participant asked for prespective on experiencing herself as "nothing".  Others asked about negative thoughts in meditation, can we be dealing with feelings we have absorbed from others rather than created ourselves, etc.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.  By way of encouragement I shared with the group how I am experiencing my self as LIght these days.  Also discussed how relaxation and tension apply to the process of Awakening and how to release blocks.  Participants asked how to release childhood trauma, how to respond rather than react, How to open one's heart to love again, ideas on how to work with a chronic illness, The Growth Formula, etc.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.  In this lively exchange, we discussed some of the hows in experiencing our Selves as Light.  At some point we let go deeply and flow happens.  We discuss some hows of letting go.  We also discuss forgiveness, how to help our children spiritually in todays world, releasing deep anger, can we feel malevolent beings in other realms and what to do, experiencing our Selves as the Infinite, etc.  Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness. We discussed that in the Awakening process there is only flow and tension. To the degree I am tense in any way I am blocking my innate and eternal Light which is flow.  Light, flow, and tension.  I described my process here and more deeply in all of these podcasts.  Since each podcast builds on those before, it is most powerful to start at 1 and work forward. Another asked if dissolving pain in meditation might reveal deeper pain.  Jesus appearing to me.  Most religions attempt to express the same truth but use different words and concepts.  And is listening to music while practicing the Awakening meditation ok? Best to not meditate at night? How to release tension and pain in real time as we go through our day so that we aren't repressing it. Etc.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com  Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

We have all experienced intensity.  Unfortunately, often times it is because of layers of stress, problems, and difficulties.  Yet it is that same intensity that is the intensity of Love, Peace, and Joy in Awakening....in experiencing our true Selves.  There is only one intensity.  Consciousness is like life giving water. It can be frozen into sharp edges such as an ice knife that can hurt.  When it melts back into the healing flow of water it gives life.  Likewise, Intensity without the attitude is Awakened Radiance flowing with its qualities of peace, love, joy and happiness.  The overwhelming intensity one feels emanating through an awakened Being is the same intensity that we feel.  Its just that ours is often twisted with an attitude of stress and theirs is not. Our spiritual practices are ways to let our maladaptive attitudes go.  We keep the intensity and radiance and let the attitude go as we awaken.  This podcast details deep letting go which is not recommended until you are ready. Our spiritual practices help us let go a little at a time in manageable ways.  The most powerful way to listen to these podcasts is to start at 1 and work forward.  Each is supported by those before.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If the support and depth of psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

So many of us are experiencing lots of inner and outer stress.  This is a brief, effective, and easy guided meditation for relaxation and to release stress.  Since it could be dangerous when coupled with other activities, please do not listen to this guided meditation when you are driving or doing any other activity.  This meditation is done when sitting or lying down when you are ready to completely focus and let go so that you can deeply release. Each podcast in this series of podcasts on awakening stand on its own. However, they also build on each other so are are most powerful if listened to in sequence from the first one and on.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness. Lately many have been experiencing distress both inside and outside.  Current events have been difficult for many. Much of the discussion in this Q & A centered around living in awareness with these many levels of distress. Topics included, "Starting by getting out of the pounding surf." Also, do I cause my own problems by bringing my perspective to what would be a happy event inside and out?  Do awakened people always know they are awake?  Ways to comfort another, How to be kind to myself, Do I need to control myself and my circumstances in order to awaken? Etc.We also noted that these podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be.  I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com  Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

Your Being is pure Radiant Light just as powerful as any guru.  Why doesn't it feel that way?  Most of us have taken a vast portion of our light and siphoned it off by creating repressed problems, attitudes, and delusions.  We are Awareness and all Awareness is love, peace, and joy.  Just as we can freeze life giving water into a destructive shape such as a frozen ice knife, we can freeze Awareness into problems.  How?  We focus our destructive attitudes into free flowing Awareness and freeze it into an thought emotion object that hurts us and others.  Ice unfreezes when it emits its cold and melts.  A psychological object melts when it  emits it's attitude. These podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be.  I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com  Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

Part 2 is a deeper examination of the issues we discussed in part 1.Your Being is pure Radiant Light just as powerful as any guru.  Why doesn't it feel that way?  Most of us have taken a vast portion of our light and siphoned it off by creating repressed problems, attitudes, and delusions.  We are Awareness and all Awareness is love, peace, and joy.  Just as we can freeze life giving water into a destructive shape such as a frozen ice knife, we can freeze Awareness into problems.  How?  We focus our destructive attitudes into free flowing Awareness and freeze it into an thought emotion object that hurts us and others.  Ice melts when it emits its cold.  A psychological object melts when it  emits it's attitude. These podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be.  I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com  Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness. Topics discussed include: Giving yourself grace, how to let distress melt out of us, how not to freeze problems within us, Experiencing who we are - Awareness of Awareness, Unforgiveness, healing our core wounds, etc.We also noted that these podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness. Topics discussed include: Kindness and self care, Hurry Sickness, triggered by family, gratitude journaling, Lack of trust is directly proportional to separation from Self, Awareness of Awareness, loneliness and codependency, teaching children self trust vs wisdom in a dangerous world, letting go, is productivity easier when we are anxious?, etcWe also noted that these podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness. Topics discussed include: The Light of Holy Days represent your Light, seeing and dissolving assumptions, use of visualization to dissolve blocks, we exist on many levels, Is it possible to be addicted to spirituality, I love my life and it's issues, how to experience self acceptance, etc.We also noted that these podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist. 

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.Discovering the essence of being in the world but not of it permeates our exploration of spiritual awakening. We discuss how we create internal obstacles that block our joy, why letting go is essential, and practical steps to reconnect with our fundamental state of happiness. • Exploring the meaning behind "Be in the World but Not of It" • The analogy of consciousness as a sunbeam • Understanding how we block our own happiness and well-being • Key methods for letting go of emotional burdens and repressed feelings • Recognizing and dealing with trauma in the healing process • The impact of societal pressures on personal narratives • Affirming that joy is inherently ours despite circumstancesWe also noted that these podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last.  Though they, also, all stand on their own.  If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.Though I am a psychotherapist and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy.  If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness. Great discussion in this Q & A. Topics included 3 doable practices when days are busy, an 84 yr old remarked how for the first time she has felt helped significantly and attributed it to these podcasts, non-attachment, letting go, relationship vs single, achievement vs stillness, value of chaos in the world, our problems are our radiance, etc.These podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last. Though they, also, all stand on their own. If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are free. Enjoy!Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support. You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness. This episode dives into the core concepts of humility and awakening, contrasting true humility with false pride. We, also, explore the balance between Bhakti and Jnana yoga. We discuss letting go, self-awareness, and embracing both the light and shadow within ourselves as we navigate our unique spiritual journeys. • Examining humility in the context of spiritual awakening • Distinguishing false pride from authentic humility • Sharing personal experiences to open the hearts of others • Bhakti yoga and Jnana yoga as pathways to awakening • The role of letting go in deepening self-awareness • Recognizing the impact of personal drama on our spiritual paths • Understanding the nature of trust in ourselves and the universe • Embracing the journey of awakening without linear expectationsThese podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last. Though they, also, all stand on their own. If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are free. Enjoy!Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support. You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.We discuss how to identify your core essence, engage with stillness, and embrace the simplicity of being happy while letting go of life's troubles. Enjoying who you truly are involves peeling back layers of distractions to reveal the light within. Discovering the light within that shines like the sun—unclouded and constant. By connecting with the lives of enlightened beings like Ramana Maharshi and Buddha, we unravel the essence of our pure selves through chakras, love, silence, and joy. Explore the art of letting go, freeing ourselves from distractions and troubles that dim our inner radiance, and learn how this practice can transform our life experience.Inner peace and fulfillment are within reach. With personal stories and insights, we connect with the simplicity of life, much like the serene existence of gentle sheep. Reflect on the trust and peace conveyed in the 23rd Psalm and discover the power of poetry, especially the works of Rumi, as a gateway to tuning into our true nature. Through meditation, we unravel the subtle awareness behind our thoughts, transcending beyond the realm of right and wrong, and understanding our deepest self.Embrace the journey of personal growth and healing as we explore how releasing repressed emotions can be a painful yet liberating path to joy. Personal anecdotes and cosmic phenomena remind us of the importance of clearing suffering to reveal our true selves. Discover how personal clarity enhances relationships, even the challenging ones, and learn the significance of kindness in transforming perceptions. we discuss how to identify your core essence, engage with stillness, and embrace the simplicity of being happy while letting go of life's troubles. • Awakening as an everyday practice of self-discovery • The intrinsic connection between happiness and true being • Different chakras resonate with various qualities of existence • Engaging with nature to shift our perspective • Sitting in stillness as a path to inner clarity • The impact of inner healing on outer relationships • The collective journey toward communal harmony and self-awarenessThese podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last. Though they, also, all stand on their own. If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are free. Enjoy!Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support. You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

In this Q & A, questions and discussion covered how to experience a glimpse of awakening now for encouragement, How to remain in our core Being in difficult circumstances, How to be in touch with our guru nature and let problems go from there, Cycles and Awakening, Our Inner Light, Accension and Awakening, etc.This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.These podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last. Though they, also, all stand on their own. If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are free. Enjoy!Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support. You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.

This is a recording of a Live Q & A which has been edited for clarity, length, and helpfulness.Because much of these podcasts follow the jnana path of clarity, they are most powerful when listened to in sequence.  However, in this discussion we started with the path of devotion and one of prayer.  We discussed that Ramana felt that Jnana (clarity) and Devotion were two equally important paths with each eventually turning into the other. Bhagavan felt the easiest path was one of prayer.  Let the Divine figure it out for you.  Later we discussed where and how one experienced one's "I Am".  Also, how many paths can one experience at the same time. Another explained the deep meaning to them of the relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdeline in terms of equality within society and the masculine-feminine relationships. Etc.These podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last. Though they, also, all stand on their own. If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart. All my podcasts and website are free. Enjoy!Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.www.williamecooper.wordpress.com for more support. You may, especially, enjoy the short contemplations and the resource page which gives you some supportive material.